#it's fine; ros doesn't mind at all

[dlartistanon]

"I miss Amiya, I miss her so much"

[luveline]

hiiii, I miss Eddie and Roan so much. Could you write something about them pleaseee? ❤️❤️❤️

eddie and roan try not to fall asleep while (almost stepmom) reader bakes a tray of brownies, 1.5k

Eddie can't sit on the couch, he lays down. He has ever since he can remember, and while he tried to be polite when he first moved in (unlike Roan, who made herself at home delightfully quickly), you're way past that now. 

"You look uncomfortable," you fret, tilting your head to the side as you look down on him in concern. "You want a pillow?" 

"I want you to lay down with me immediately," he says, making grabby hands at your stomach. 

You refuse him with a stunning, angelic, beatific smile, the kind that makes him think fuck I should marry her, before he remembers he's already going to. If there's one thing about Eddie Munson, it's that he wholeheartedly believes that you're the prettiest woman he's ever met. Maybe you started that way, maybe he loves you so much you've metamorphosed into an intoxicating creature of good looks, but whatever it is, he's obsessed with it. 

"Lie down with me," he demands. 

"I'm gonna make little brownies," you say, shaking your head, "but I know someone for the job." 

He's half expecting you to scoop Mr. Porterson out of his tank and hand him to Eddie in a cup, but you head upstairs to Roan's bedroom. He can hear your voice through the floor, and his daughter's answering gasp. She all but runs down the stairs, demarcated by you and Eddie shouting the same thing, "Don't run down the stairs, Ro!" 

She's huffing and puffing by the time she gets to the living room, rounding the couch to stand in front of Eddie. "Hello," she huffs. "You need a hug?" 

Eddie opens his arm and drags her in. He should say something cheesy and loving, like, don't I always? He's not a super serious guy, but it's been on his mind a little more often as the wedding approaches and Roan gets taller how lucky he is to have you both, and how things could be totally different. He never expected to be a dad and he honestly didn't want to be before he saw her little face.

Eddie remembers picking her up when she was still smaller than his arm, two inexperienced hands under her armpits raising her up because he realised he could. 

Her legs scrunched up toward her chest and he thought, oh, my god. And now she clambers on his chest and does her pill bug curl with her knees, reminding him so much of her baby scrunch and the way her head smelled. He drapes a gentle arm behind her and tries to pour every ounce of love he possesses into his touch as he pats her shoulder, a steady thump, thump, thump. 

"You smell nice," Roan accuses. 

"That's weird. Maybe check again." 

She sniffs him. "You smell yummy, like Y/N's shampoo." 

He may have ran out of body wash, and he may have used a dollop of your shampoo. He doesn't think it'll matter in the grand scheme of things and all you're sharing, but he puts his finger to his lips. "Shh," he whispers, "don't tell." 

"You said I'm not supposed to have secrets," Roan says. 

"You're not." Eddie draws a line down her back just to hear her giggle. "Except this one." 

"That's what you said about the last one." 

"This one and that one, then." Not like she managed to keep that one secret, either. What was he thinking, telling his five year old he wanted to propose? She lost her mind aloud. 

Then again, she spilled the beans and you immediately told Eddie he had to move in with you (he can't remember it perfectly now, but he's pretty sure you said, 'I think you better move in', which was just bossy enough to have him falling in love twice over). 

"I don't like secrets," Roan says.

Her voice strengthens as she gets older, and her pronunciation of things grows smoother. Occasionally she speaks and she sounds much older than she is. Currently, she talks with a funny cadence, emphasis on things that don't need it and, and an underlying sense of awe like she can't believe what she's saying. 

"Fine," Eddie says, pulling her closer still, "we won't keep this one secret. But if she shouts at me I'm going to have to sleep in your room tonight." 

"I'll sleep with Y/N." 

"No, because I'll need you to dry my tears." 

Roan nods into his chest, the faux silk of her sleeve shushing against his shirt as she brings a hand up to his hair. "Okie dokie," she says, twisting one of his curls around her fingers. "But don't cry." 

"I'll try not to, sweetheart." 

She smiles and relaxes fully into his arms. 

"Are you tired?" he asks. 

"Don't think so." 

"You've already got your jammies on. You don't want a bath tonight?" He's feeling affectionate for his life, adding, "Mommy has new bubble bath, it smells like chamomile. I'm sure she'd love to share with you." 

"Yeah?" 

"Mm-hmm." His eyes are getting heavy. Maybe he's tired. The thought of a bubble bath almost puts him to sleep. 

"Don't fall asleep," Roan whispers. 

"I'm not, Ro. Just resting my eyes. You don't have to stay and cuddle if you're busy." 

"I like you," she says. 

"I like you too." 

— 

Little brownies are the best thing ever. You make a very wet brownie batter and pour it thin in a big baking sheet. You barely cook them, and then when they're cooled and cut you freeze them, and when they defrost (at a time of your choosing) they're perfect for eating or putting into Roan's school lunchbox. You set the last tupperware of them into the freezer and wipe your cold hands on a dish towel, happy. 

It's a bit strange, but before you met your Munsons, you had no idea how peaceful it could feel to have done something for someone else. You weren't an overly selfish creature but there's this unnameable feeling that comes with doing this kind of 'chore'. Taking care of the people you love… 

Well, it feels good. Not as good as this is about to feel, you guess, turning off the kitchen light and locking the front door as you go. Eddie and Roan lay on the couch with the TV set to a loud volume. You'd assumed they'd both be awake, but it seems they've fallen asleep despite the odds. You're gonna languish in it with them just as soon as you can tetris your way into the pile.

Roan has crawled up the length of her dad's chest to press her cheek to his, and Eddie's wrapped his arms around her tightly, tucking her in with nowhere to turn. 

You can't fit into their cuddle pile without disturbing the peace, but you can't be expected to abstain, surely. 

You sink down onto the floor by Eddie's head, bringing your hand to his sleeping face. Careful, you stroke a twisted baby hair against his forehead, the dark kink of it like a thread through pale skin. 

Roan stirs, or wasn't as asleep as you thought. She yawns wide, lips smacking as she asks, "What are you doing?" 

You grin at her loud whisper. "Just looking. You okay?" 

"He's squeezing me." 

"Too much?" 

"No, I like it. I feel like a sardine." 

"Yeah?" You rest your upper body on the couch, her pyjama top satiny under your hand. "You like it? You're not claustrophobic?" 

She gives you a daunted look.

"It means squished, pretty much," you say.. 

"I like it," she reaffirms. Roan pulls her arm out of Eddie's grasp to touch yours. "Dad says I can have some bubble bath." 

"Of course you can, princess. You know you can have anything of mine." Except the top shelf stuff, but she can't reach that high. "I left you some brownies for ice cream." 

"You did?" 

"Yeah, I did." You meet her eyes, formidable baby browns that you never stood a chance against. Her cheek is warm as you lean in for a quick peck. "You're beautiful. I love you." 

Roan gasps happily. "You're beautiful-er!" 

"Thanks," Eddie mumbles, smirking as he starts to wake from his nap. 

"Time d'you call this, Eds?" you ask fondly. 

He turns his face one way and the other, agonised. "Oh, but I was so cozy! My girl is so soft and she's pretty much my blanket, and she was being so nice to me!" He sighs, a picture of distress, his voice croaky with the edge of sleep. "Can you ever forgive me?" 

"Sure!" Roan says, laughing. 

"Just this once." 

He squints at you. "This is pretty much your fault anyways." 

"You'll forgive me. Please?" He leans up for a kiss. "S'what I thought," you say into his lips.

You nudge him back and squeeze onto the couch. He has to go on his side for you to for and Roan ends up half on top of you, a knee jabbed into your stomach. Still, it's fine for now. Your quiet desire to be cuddled with them is abated, a strong arm behind your back and a much smaller hand sneaking inside your shirt sleeve to warm the attached, similarly small fingers. 

[mistachesme]

They pretend to be your boyfriend pt. 2 (ft kazuha, childe)

With surprise cameos ofc <3. Highly unedited. Not sure if it came out good tho :')

Tw- drinking, some creep in childe's part

Kazuha

- it came out as surprise that kazuha of all ppl was asking you to pretend to be his lover for one evening

- "It's to get my moms to stop setting me up with random people." He explained to you.

- you recalled the first time you met his mom, you were so nervous. But, beidou's easygoing personality and her infectious laugh made you feel at ease at once.

- kazuha was your dear friend. Despite having feelings for him, you never acted on them 'cause you cherished his friendship and was afraid of his rejection.

- looking at the way he seemed so troubled, you couldn't reject his request.

"This doesn't change anything right?" You tentatively asked. There was an odd look on his face, before it was gone. He nodded.

"Fine then. I will come by your house."

- you felt so loved. all your favourite food was on the dinning table.

"I had to ask kazuha what your favourite dishes were. I hope you enjoy my cooking." Ningguang smiled at you.

"I thought they were your friend. Why didn't you tell us before." Beidou laughed, nudging a blushing kazuha.

- soon the dining hall was filled with laughter, and you can't help but feel guilty for lying to the two amazing women.

- so when you and kazuha were finally left alone, you tell him that his family was amazing.

"Thank you for agreeing to this. My mothers were really happy you came." Kazuha said, truthfully.

- you nod and went back to eating the almond tofu on your plate.

"Your mom makes the best almond tofu, I swear."

- "Almond tofu is not the only good thing my mom has you know." Kazuha whispered in your ear with a smirk.

- your mind went blank with a *windows XP shutting down sound*

Childe

"You're blind date didn't go well huh? Hu Tao told me." Childe slurrs, drunkenly putting his arm around you as he laughs.

"I suggest you to shut your shitty mouth."

- currently you are out drinking with your friends after a long week and of course this bastard had to tag along.

"I think I know why you get dumped so easily." He side eyes you with a smug face.

"If you don't shut up, I'm gonna shove this glass of wine up your ass."

- zhongli watches the two of you fight in amusement as he sips his wine.

"Is this how they get every time they get drunk?" Hu Tao laughs.

"Indeed." He responds with a knowing smile.

- "I'm gonna take a piss. Be right back." You say, slipping away from childe's hold, before disappearing into the crowd.

"Oi.. don't go alone it's dangerous."

You ignore childe's worried calling as you navigate your way to the washroom. The club is too crowdy.

-Not too long after, you hear footsteps behind you and you sigh, knowing who it is.

- "I told you not to go alone." You feel his arm snaking around your waist as you walk.

"Fine." You sigh, leaning on his arm. "Wait outside the washroom, okay?"

- but when you come back, you find childe talking to someone on call. So, you keep your distance. It's probably teucer.

- you dont notice untill later someone approaching you.

"Are you alone, sweetie?" This dude asks, stepping too close to you with a disgusting grin on his face.

"I came with my friends. And, leave me alone, you creep." You snap at him.

"Now, now don't be like that." He says, grabbing your arm.

- at this point you were so pissed. Before you could land a proper punch on his face, you find yourself being pulled away from him and into a familiar set of arms.

- "Don't you know better than touching someone's lover." Childe speaks to him in a warning tone. "They got a boyfriend, you know?"

- "Boyfriend?" The creepy guy looks questioningly at you and then at childe.

- "Yeah, he is here you know." Childe whirls around looking through the crowd, making the other guy look around.

"Where would he be?" The other guy scoffs.

"Why, he's right in front of you." Childe chirps, turning back to him with a smile. You roll your eyes at that. What a dramatic ass.

- "I need to teach you a proper lesson for touching my things before you leave."

[quimichi]

NSFW [ SFW if NSFW isn’t okay- ] Malleus Hc? [ male reader if your comfy with tat, if not gn is good too :3 ] ignore if your not taking requests or this isn’t okay-

. . . . . . . . . ╰──╮MY DEAREST ╭──╯ . . . . . . . . .

(N)SFW MALLEUS BF HCS

Malleus x Gn!Reader

A/n: I do male reader, but since you said gn reader is fine too I did gn reader! I hope it's ok but obviously I can still do a male reader ♡

SFW

: ̗̀➛ first of all, damn you're lucky like---

: ̗̀➛ the fact that you're now in a relationship with the most powerful being of the school is mad scary for so many. After all, you're just a magicless human.

: ̗̀➛ but you are so much more to Malleus himself, and he takes a pot of pride in being your partner, boyfriend sounds so...weird to him

: ̗̀➛ Lilia btw is a super proud mom

: ̗̀➛ i have the add the adorable gargoyle stuff because it's a Malleus thing. He always takes his time and is open minded to youe interest, so obviously you are too! Whatever it might be he will try and study it to understand you better

: ̗̀➛ please help him tho, he may get a little lost in places of the internet if he ever trys to learn more on there

: ̗̀➛ insist on you two sleeping together. And INSISTS that you and Grim move to his dorm, his room to be specific, because the conditions you live in? We don't talk about them---

: ̗̀➛ once he got a taste of cuddling, it was over for you. He can and will get clingy at night, pulling you into his chest so he can hold you

: ̗̀➛ very protective and somehow greedy. Your attention is his, his animalistic dragon side may come out there but you can deal with it, so far that is-

: ̗̀➛ gets you way to expensive presents, mostly with pretty gems. Things like jewelry, or even other decorative pieces. All in your favorite color(s)

: ̗̀➛ loves to take late night walks with you, having your arms linked while slowly walking beside each other enjoying not only the atmosphere but each other's company

: ̗̀➛ will also read to you if you ever ask for it. Having you falling asleep right there in his arms ro his soothing voice really does sound like a dream

: ̗̀➛ lol he literally told Sebek to also protect you from any harm that comes if he can't be around you (which is like so rare he's glued to your side)

: ̗̀➛ baby can't use his phone right and would think that if he speaks to his phone with the chat open it will magically send the text to you, like you always do with voice mails---

: ̗̀➛ or he has his front camera open and doesn't know how to turn the view so he literally turns the whole phone and trys to blindly press the button

: ̗̀➛ he's so cute stfu

NSFW

: ̗̀➛ this guy is huge like---massive. You have to be around his size to really take it down good-

: ̗̀➛ rip to my fellow small people out there

: ̗̀➛ obviously he gives off big dick energy and this is what he has, a big dick. Like 9 inches, in cm that would be 22

: ̗̀➛ it's average in thickness but the length...damn: ̗̀➛ like i said before very protective, also meaning possessive. He will mark you up, with his smell and with any other sign he can. That's why he gets you the jewelry too. And also hickey's

: ̗̀➛ if you dont like those, he won't do any of them he respects you to much for this to push you into anything that you are not willing to at least try. Same with showing them, if you don't like people to know this way, he is very okay with this

: ̗̀➛ since he does love and respect you a lot, like literally adore and being obsessed with you, you will have the final word of anything. He is willing to try everything out of curiosity and will maybe bring something up himself, but won't MAKE you do anything. A no is a no after all

: ̗̀➛ so a no for him is definitely degration, like sry people who like it but no-

: ̗̀➛ [FEM REDER] a little yandere but would baby trap you at some point in life cause he knocks you up all the time with everything he has. So in the end, you are truly only his

: ̗̀➛ [MALE READER] would also let you take control once in a while. Yes, he is dominant for 99% but if you are also, just ask and take control he won't bite unless you want to, bite back even. Literally ruin this man's insides he will love it ♡

: ̗̀➛ seeing you so...rounded with his cum just makes him keep going, if you let him

: ̗̀➛ also, belly bulge. It's hypnotizing seeing himself going in and out of you, in and out...

: ̗̀➛ can go for so many rounds, because the Stamina he has is insane. Like he turns when you star begging for his dick inside you

: ̗̀➛ really loves to hear you, he knows you're obsessed with his voice but so is he with yours. He won't only whisper those dirty but also sweet things into your ear, making you weak. He wil also make you say things you were never expecting to say, without him forcing you. Same with the noises he can draw out

: ̗̀➛ He makes you shameless without even realizing it and it makes his brain go brrr

: ̗̀➛ to a point where Lilia heard it more than once-

[bcjthoughts]

Sanders sides office au (Not the show just them working in a random office)

Logan's the CEO

Roman's Logan's personal assistant (he wants to be an actor but does this until he gets his break)

Virgil and Patton have regular office jobs (patton's kinda a personality hire)

Janus is the head of HR slowly losing his mind trying to prove Logan and Patton are secretly dating

Remy's the receptionist

Remus is the janitor

Roman is Logan's personal assistant but likes to go above and beyond and do stuff for everyone around the office like helping print patton's paper work or buying everyone coffee

Virgil hates Roman. His vibe is just off.

Roman and Remy are freimeies

Roman and Patton are work besties

Roman and Logan are friends from high school

Roman has full access to Logan's weekly planner and just adds stuff like 'Tuesday morning brunch with ro and pat' and 'don't go to Thursday's meeting the hot intern's not coming

But despite his slight mischief he's absolutely essential. At some point he leaves for a week with out warning because of a family emergency or something which would be fine, except Logan's become really quite dependent on Roman for almost everything even non work related things. So that whole week Logan's showing up late to work like "I couldn't decide what to have for breakfast and I spent so long deciding I missed my bus and didn't end up eating anything" and he's missing meetings and work lunches and being generally cranky cause he doesn't have time to buy himself coffee so he's exhausted and when roman finally comes back Logan storms up to him all angry and says "you've ruined me! I used to be so capable and now without you I'm a bumbling fool and Roman just laughs and claps him on the shoulder "like aw I love you to spark point"

Also Logan and Patton totally do have a secret relationship, they just make out in Logan's office with the blinds drawn

Remy barely ever shows up for work but when he does he's hung over and screaming into his phone gossiping

Logan's always trying to raise office moral with silly work lunches but eventually Patton just takes over cause Logan's awful at it and they start going to pottery barns and laser tag

Eventually Virgil and Roman do become friends and their hangouts mostly consist of going to waffle house at 2am and getting drunk in taco bell parking lots

[mybutcheredtongue]

I'll Love You 'til the Grass Around My Gravestone is Deceased

Harry Potter timeline Sirius Black x fem!reader

CHAPTER TWO (see full series list here)

"'Sup, Moony."

You step into the tiny cottage Remus Lupin inhabits, smiling at him.

"Hello."

There's a keen scent of lavender in the home. Remus has always kept the place well and tidy. His tidiness has always been something you've envied. However, you know well that there's a small basement locked away beneath the cottage that's considerably less tidy, because werewolf Remus is not as orderly as normal Remus.

It'll be a few weeks until his next transformation. You've always made sure to plan your days together around the cycle. Sometimes you wish people would make their plans around your cycle too, but that's besides the point.

"Ready?" You ask and he nods, smoothing down the front of his sweater, picking at a small ball that had formed on it.

"Yes, let me just grab some change, I'll be right back," he says, skipping off to another room.

You sigh gently, studying a photo on the wall. It was a photo James had took of yourself and Remus, sitting on the common room couch reading a book together, and then promptly getting into an argument because Remus flipped the page too fast for you. You're both in fits of laughter.

Remus returns, coins jingling in the pocket of his trousers and you turn back, smiling. "Where'd you get that photo? It wasn't here last time."

"Found it in one of my old textbooks," he replies.

You give him an amused but skeptical look. "What were you doing looking through your old textbooks?"

"Just a bit of light reading."

You snort, placing your hand on the back of his shoulder blade and gently pushing him through the door. "Light reading."

⁠✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

"How are you?" Remus asks as the two of you sit down at a small, circular table in a quaint cafe not far from his cottage.

For such a small cafe, it's quite busy. Small groups chat around the tables, cutlery clinking against plates and the cash register rattling every once in a while.

You shrug your satchel off your shoulder, dropping it to the ground with a gentle thud. "Yeah, I'm alright. How 'bout you?"

A waiter wanders up to your table, flipping open his small notebook and nodding at the two of you. "Now, what can I get for you?"

"A pot of tea for me, please," you say.

"Can you get me a cup too? And, uh, some chocolate."

The waiter nods and hurries off, leaving you to level with Remus' awaiting eyes. He doesn't say anything and you widen yours in question.

"What, Moony? You look like you're dying to say something."

Remus raises his eyebrows at you. He says your name gently. "Talking helps. You know that."

You sigh, drumming your fingers on the table, looking away. "Yeah, alright, fine. Can't say I'm doing all that well."

Remus says nothing, silently imploring you to continue.

"It's just...Harry, he's...it's just hard to...I don't..."

"I know."

You swallow hard. "Spittin' image, the spittin' fucking image of him. I'm almost half expecting Harry to turn around and tell me to 'go shag Sirius'."

You laugh dryly. The humour is lost on you when your mind thinks of Sirius.

Remus chuckles gently, if not with an added tension to his jaw. You're aware of his feelings on the matter. Remus doesn't hold the same confidence in Sirius that you do, he's always stipulated that he would need hard evidence ro prove his innocence before he believes it.

Any mention of Sirius tends to remind Remus of what he considers to be 'bad believing'. He thinks it's bad for your health to not move on.

He's probably right.

"Yes, well, that was one of James's favourite phrases."

"And — and — that troll I mentioned? Yeah, Harry defeated it. Along with the help of two friends, of course..." a smile lifts your face. "He's got a good heart. As good as his parents. I'm glad the Dursleys didn't take that away from him."

The waiter arrives down with your pot of tea, the porcelain clanking as he places it on the table. You smile and utter your thanks and he hurries off again.

"It's just tough, you know? I mean, my own godson, and I can't even talk to him properly?" You say. "I know Dumbledore's right, his judgement is always right, but still..."

"I would feel the exact same if I were in your place. He is, after all, the closest thing we could have to James and Lily." Remus takes a sip from his tea, wincing, before glancing around himself at the muggles sitting around you.

He pulls the cup down beneath the table and secretively pulls out his wand, muttering a quiet spell under his breath to cool it. He sips again, nodding. "I miss them too. The autumn and winter months tend to be the hardest."

There's a small silence between the two of you and you sigh, stretching your arms out behind your head. "Look, enough about all that. How's the job hunt going?"

Remus groans. "Horrendous."

You bring your cup to your mouth, eyeing him over the rim. "Hogwarts is always looking, you know. I'm sure Dumbledore'd be happy to take you on."

He raises his eyebrows unenthusiastically at you. "And what could I possibly teach?"

"Anything! You're a smart bloke, y'know," you reply. "Charms? You've always been great at that!"

Remus shakes his head in amusement.

"I'm being serious, you know! You'd be a great teacher. Ooh, maybe you could even be my assistant!"

Remus chuckles. "That would be torturous."

"Oh, shut up," you scoff, laughing. "Seriously though, consider it. You'd be brilliant. And I'd actually have someone my own age at work."

"It can't be that bad."

"It is! Severus is the only one, and we both know how much he hates me," you tell him. "I mean, everyone's lovely and all, and I do occasionally have tea with McGonagall, but she was my teacher! Can't fully relax around her, if I'm honest. And Dumbledore can be a bit barmy at times."

"Barmy?"

"Just a bit. Tends to get a bit distracted during conversations."

Remus just laughs, and you feel certain worries lift from your shoulders.

He's right.

Talking does help.

✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

Later, you and Remus part ways. He walks down the road towards his cottage and you spin on your heel, checking the street before Disapparating.

You land in an alleyway, stumbling on your feet before steadying yourself. You wince, trying not to focus on the turning of your stomach. You breathe in, before stepping out and onto a street in London. In front of you is the window to an abandoned department store. The sign above reads 'Purge & Dowse Ltd', though the paint is flaking and faded.

You sidle up to the ugliest mannequin there, wearing a wretched green pinafore dress, and whisper, "I'm here to visit the Longbottoms."

You watch as the mannequin nods and beckons you forward. You glance around to make sure the coast is clear before stepping through the glass.

You breathe in the clinically clean air of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies, watching as nurses and visitors bustle about. It's not long before you've made your way up to the Janus Thickey Ward for spell damage and are seating yourself down on a rickety stool between Alice and Frank Longbottom.

You sigh, gently taking Alice's hand in yours. "Hello, lovely."

Alice's face is no longer the healthy, bright face you used to know. It's now sallow and sunken, dark bags dragging under her eyes. Her clipped hair, which you remember her cutting during the war to keep it low-maintenance, is missing tufts in certain spots and clearly hasn't been cut in a while.

She rises at the sound of your voice, sitting up in her bed and looking about in confusion. She turns her eyes to you, but she's not really looking at you. It feels like she's looking through you, unfocused.

"How are you today?"

Alice blinks before nodding slowly a few seconds later, a blank expression on her face.

"Brilliant."

This is often how your 'conversations' with Alice go. She doesn't know what's going on at all. It's a cruel living.

Still, it feels good to visit. Part of you feels that if you keep returning to these two, they might gain some of their former sanity and health.

"Well, I'm good. Your young lad has started at Hogwarts, though I'm sure Augusta's told you that already." You turn your head to Frank, who is also sitting up but dreamily staring off at a potted plant in the far corner of the room. "Did you hear that, Frank? Neville has started at Hogwarts."

Frank blinks at you, then looks back at the potted plant, muttering something incomprehensible to himself.

"Frank?"

"N...Ne — vuh," Alice utters slowly with great effort.

You turn and smile encouragingly at her. "Nev, yes. Little Neville. Such a sweet boy, you two. You'd be so proud of him, being placed in Gryffindor! He's clearly as brave as you two!"

Silence. You look down at Alice's hand in yours, and gently pat the top lovingly.

"I talked to Remus today. We both miss you very much."

Still no response. Alice has now fixated on your hands and you can practically see the cogs slowly turning in her mind as she works to...think.

You've read plenty of articles on the Cruciatus Curse, looking for anything that might help your friends, but nothing ever comes up. You have found that some healers believe that the state that most victims end up in, the one that Alice and Frank are currently in, is like dreaming. They feel like they're in a dream. Not entirely in control of anything, especially their mind.

A healer walks up to Alice, a potion bottle in her hand, full of vile-looking yellow liquid. She notices you and gives you a sympathetic smile.

"Lovely to see you, professor!" She greets brightly and you smile in response. She turns to Alice, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Have you seen your visitor, Alice? Isn't it nice to get visitors?"

Alice doesn't say anything.

You sigh, stepping off the rickety stool and sliding your satchel up over your shoulder again. "I'll get going, Alice," you say to her. You nod at her husband, "Frank. Can't be missing dinner."

"Here, drink this, Alice," the healer says softly and raises the bottle to Alice's lips, who thankfully parts her lips without objection and the healer tips the contents down her throat. She turns to you. "Thank you for visiting. It may not look it, but it does wonders for them."

You nod in understanding. "I hope so. Thank you for taking care of them so well. I'm sure I'll be 'round again soon enough."

She smiles and you take your leave, giving Alice and Frank one last departing look as you exit the ward.

The healer is giving Frank the same potion and Alice has already fallen asleep and you bite your lip, sighing. At least she's asleep now.

Peaceful.

🤧

✧*⁠。✧*⁠。

->-> read chapter three here!

→ all kinds of interaction appreciated ♡

[shepherds-of-haven]

the screenshot game got me thinking..what are all the RO's like if they have to pose as a couple with a friend they *don't* have feelings for? I got Blade and I genuinely can't tell if he'd be more or less awkward, lol

Blade: he would be way less awkward with just a platonic friend, he would have just be breathing deeply through his nose and letting the other person talk more, but it would be wayyyyy easier and more comfortable to pull off and believable, lol! He's far smoother with someone he doesn't have feelings for and would be able to lie pretty easily, lol!

Trouble: I think he would be pretty awkward about it because he's not great at actively lying, but depending on the person, they could put him at ease! If paired with someone who's naturally outgoing or can just brush it off and make it funny like "dude don't make this fucking weird, suck it up and act like you're my husband, I'm not going to jump your bones you dipshit kakhead!! (Ayla)" he'd be fine; if it was someone he's not as comfortable with like a Lavinet or maybe, like, Red or Riel, it'd be slightly weird but they'd just forge past it and give it the good ol' college try. Mostly he'd just stand there uncomfortably looking lost and like he doesn't know what to do with his hands, lol

Tallys: she's smooth regardless if it's someone she has feelings for, is sleeping with, or is just platonic friends with, it doesn't really change her behavior either way (except that she's more outwardly handsy with a FWB or lover, lol)! She'd be like "seriously, you can't be mature about this -_-" while Trouble freezes up like "yes......... you are my wife and we are looking for a honeymoon suite................." but she'd be the one swiftly and graciously moving the conversation along and selling the whole bit!

Shery: she's certainly less awkward with a good friend (pretending to be a fake couple with someone she has feelings for seems like it would cause her to melt into a puddle on the floor), but she's still definitely a bit awkward about it, lol. Luckily for her, most people would just assume she's like a blushing virgin bride or something, so she'd be able to get away with letting the other person talk!

Riel: he's an unapologetic liar, so I think he'd be able to manage this successfully either way. He's probably more internally comfortable with a platonic friend than the object of his affections, but then again, he might also enjoy the 'fantasy' of roleplaying this with someone he had feelings for more! The sexual tension would be an added complexity, but honestly he probably wouldn't be that mad about it, lol

Chase: he LOVES this either way. he EATS IT UP. He's ridiculously over the top and hammy about it whether with a friend or with someone he has feelings for, honestly: it's just his motivations are different (to make the friend want to die of embarrassment and troll them if platonic, or because he thinks it's wildly ironic and hilarious if with someone he's already sleeping with/has feelings for and it's just another way to flirt outrageously with them). he also just loves lying and spinning stories for people, so this would be just a boatload of fun for him!

Red: I think he'd be smooth about this either way, but he'd definitely be far more internally nervous and overanalyzing everything with someone he's attracted to versus with a friend. (But on an external level, he'd pretty much just act the same.) With a friend, this is just like any other mission: whether they're pretending to be a pair of merchants or a married couple, it doesn't really matter to him or make him feel any differently about it (though certain pairings would certainly make the whole charade go smoother. Someone like Lavinet or Briony?? Sure, they can collaborate on a lie and 'make pretend' very easily. Pair him up with Blade? Why would you do that.). But if it's with someone he has feelings for, half of his mind is occupied at all times with keeping focus on the mission and reminding himself that this is about work and reining in slut-Red's innermost hopes that this scenario could lead to very interesting resolutions to the tensions he's been sensing between himself and his crush... (don't think about that, don't think about that, this is a very important mission and it would be very scummy for you to think about anything else besides that.' slut-red: unless?...)

Ayla: I think she'd definitely be more comfortable doing this with a friend than she would be with the object of her affections! Every little thing her crush would do would throw her off or make her jumpy, like if they put an arm around her waist or hold her hand, she'd jump and hiss, like, What are you doing!! You can't just do that!! MC: Aren't I your spouse though LOL She'd get flustered and also a little singed over the fact that MC is only doing this for the ruse, so what is she getting so excited about... It would just be a difficult time for her! With a friend she'd just roll her eyes and go along with it, or she might even have fun with the whole situation, so it'd definitely be way easier for her!

Briony: I think she'd be a bit more comfortable and happy with the fake couple scenario if she was doing it with her crush, because she'd view it as a way to 'safely' flirt with them all she wanted, and it would make her very happy to hold their hand or be treated like their girlfriend/wife and she could happily commit to the fantasy of it with her whole heart (for the mission's sake and authenticity of course)!! So she'd have way more fun and would be more comfortable acting affectionate/flirtatious with them if she also held real romantic feelings for them. With a platonic friend, she could get by well enough, but she'd be just a little too cautious about not wanting to make them feel uncomfortable or crossing the boundary of their friendship/making things weird (like she'd always be whispering, "is it okay if I take your hand?" or "i had to kiss you on the cheek earlier to sell it, i'm so sorry if that was weird....") So basically it would actually be more uncomfortable for her with a platonic friend because she'd be over-conscious of making them uncomfortable or crossing some hidden boundary between them! (Ironically, she's very thoughtlessly physically affectionate with her friends as it is, but there's a huge difference in her mind between taking their arm and walking down the street as friends and literally pretending to be their wife and playacting romantic gestures at them).

Lavinet: she'd be excellent at this either way, though, like Briony, she'd definitely internally enjoy it more with the object of her affections than with just a platonic friend, because she'd also enjoy committing to the bit and losing herself in the fantasy of it all! Her "comfort level" and external behavior doesn't change at all, but her general excitement/enjoyment of the affair does, if that makes any sense!

Halek: he's just wearily along for the ride if they're just friends; he's pretty much expecting this is going to lead to fucking if there's attraction between them (this kind of scenario always does) lol. He's not mad about it either way, though!

[uroboros-if]

seeing your rant about how difficult it is to be somewhat rude without ruining your relationships in ifs WAS SO RELATABLE! It doesn’t feel real to be always good or nice to characters to be liked

I’m not saying you should be able beat them up and still romance without consequences but romance/relationships aren’t always perfect and peaceful!!! Disagreements/arguments should be something that can happen without it being at the cost of the relationship itself ugh because that’s normal come on >:| as an angst enjoyer, its so hard to have fun without the character being like “you dont agree with me? perish then”

so I’m even more excited for the game now that I saw your take on it because LETS GO!!!!!! <3

You succinctly explained what I struggled to! 😭

I will confess it's half self-indulgent, because I really enjoy relationships where the two must confront their conflicting ideals! I understand most seek other like-minded people, but what of characters who like to be challenged? Characters who can't help but be attached to someone they shouldn't be?

Even setting that aside, you are completely correct! As long as that topic isn't sensitive to someone and neither party is inflexible, people won't automatically like you less.

So not only does such an approval system lose out on angst potential, sometimes it's also unrealistic. There is truth in it as our opinions of others do adjust based on their actions, and those things add up! However, it's a problem when it's applied to even arbitrary choices, or it unnecessarily severely impacts your approval.

Under the read more is my "theory" on why some ROs in IFs are defined by a dynamic trope (rivals to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, etc)!! 💕

It is difficult, if not impossible for a numerical approval system to qualitatively judge your relationship dynamics; it can only judge based on the weight of each choice. It can't, for example, see you've transitioned from being rude, to softening up to the character after realizing they're not so bad. The game only sees the sum of all your negative and positive points.

Without a way to label your actions by anything but a number, a system that purely relies on numerics is incapable of interpreting the dynamics of your relationship, and therefore customizing future interactions with the RO.

Of course, I think most IFs don't purely rely on numbers. Some do a hybrid in which important decisions are tracked qualitatively and lesser ones are tracked numerically. However, even then, some romance is limited by a baseline approval you must achieve in a certain timeframe, and that leads to pressure to meet that mystery number.

Furthermore, these qualitative "important decisions" often have more to do with the plot than how it defines your relationship specifically -- things like "did you kill their father?" rather than "What were their first impressions of the MC?"

So I believe that without a way to interpret the MC's actions meaningfully, there's only one way to play a romance route. There's only one dynamic with that character, one way the relationship can really be. You can be different genders, have your relationship contextualized differently as the story changes from your actions, but rarely does it dramatically differ solely on personality. Rarely does it examine how your relationship varies from the different ways you interact with that character.

I think it's fine that some characters are like that! In fact, it's realistic that some dynamics don't suit certain characters. For example, it's not possible to have rivals to lovers with Salvatore, because they have no reason to see you as a rival, even if you hate them or try to compete with them.

However, taking Sal as an example, your relationship can vary widely by your attitude towards them. It can be a case of friends who lost touch and regret having lost touch; it can be one-sided, as Sal may view MC as a friend, but the MC is bitterly jealous of them. Perhaps MC doesn't think much of them at all.

That's the kind of meaningful interpretation of relationships I aim for--different dynamics rather than boxing in Sal as the typical childhood friends to lovers. There is no one way to play their romance; it should change as the MC is different.

I see how it's not for everyone, and I acknowledge that it is a Herculean task that may, in time, reveal the full extent of its complexity. But I strive for it because such a complicated relationship is central to the conflict of Uroboros. There is nothing more important an undertaking than character relationships in the IF.

Extremely long theory and rambling, but I am so happy someone shares my thoughts, at least as far as disagreements with the ROs!! ❤️❤️ Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share even more of my opinion, Anon! I'm thrilled you are so excited for the story!

[bluegalaxygirl]

Dead Rising (Zosan X Reader) Alternative ending

Please Read Dead Rising first before reading this thank you

Zoro X Sanji X Reader, Poly relationship, established relationship,

Plot: After seeing both his lovers die and one of them come back to try and kill him. Zoro wakes up back on the sunny only to find you and Sanji still alive.

Warning: Death, Blood, Injuries, Suicide, bad language and trauma.

The sky was dark as Zoro sat there on the shop floor his blood soaked blade on his lap, he couldn't bring himself to move in anyway, but he knew yours and Sanji's bodys where next to him, it felt so unreal, he couldn't cope only one thing flooded his mind as he raised the blood soaked sward above him, Shusui the beautiful black blade that caused so much death and destruction he begged and pleaded in his head for this to have never happened to bring you two back before bringing the blade down.

"Zoro, Zoro get up, were going" Your voice yells out as a hard kick hits his leg. Zoro's eyes shoot open as he gasps out of shock, where was he? is this the after life? It was warm but the breeze was cold as he sat up looking around to find that he's on the grassy deck of the Sunny "Zoro, we're ready to leave come on" Your voice makes him jump a little but look your way, you look fine, no bites or blood, no sweaty yet pale skin but you were wearing the same clothes and that bag, the bag you tried to fill up with food before "Y/N" Zoro yells out getting off the floor and hugging you tight, your real, your alive "Zoro, hay Hun what's wrong?" you ask but your words fall on def ears as the swordsman looks over your shoulder at the town, the town you were all just in "What the fuck is going on?" Zoro whispers as you push him off you "I was about to ask you that, you ok? You look hell" You comment noticing his sweaty and shaky stature. "Your alive, thats all that matters" Zoro smiles placing his lips on yours, there soft and smooth and a little warm not like how he remembered before you passed. You lean in letting him have this moment to calm him down but when he pulls away he's still nervous and shaky.

Sanji walks back onto the Sunny, he was waiting for you to wake Zoro up but it was taking too long "Hay, come on already" The cook yells with an annoyed tone, he was sick of hearing Luffy complain about wanting food and just wanted this trip over and done with but was caught off guard when Zoro runs at him and pulls the cook into a hug "Zo-ro" Sanji pats the man on the back hardly able to breath form the overly tight hug which soon loosens but the swordsman doesn't let go instead the pulls the cook away form the bridge leading down to the village "Ok your acting really strange what is going on?" You ask walking over to the two "We're not going into town, where leaving and never looking back" Zoro's voice is demanding which throws you both off guard "We need food" Sanji try's to push the man off him but to no avail "NO" The swordsman yells getting Chopper and Usopp's attention while their working on something along with Robin who was sitting reading a book. "We-" Sanji yells back only for Zoro to pull you both closer to him "I'm not losing you two again. We can service for a few more days, Luffy's gonna have to suck it up" You and Sanji gasp a little at his words looking up the the distraught swordsman.

You place your hand on his cheek rubbing your thumb under his eye to wipe away a stray tear "Hun, it just a dream. Everything's ok now" you try to keep your voice calm but his look told you it wasn't ok "No it wasn't, i don't know what it was but i felt everything, you two got bit by some undead things and then you got sick and - and then you died and come back trying to kill us. i-i" His grip on you tightens as he talks looking down at you like your were a ghost not alive in any way "I had to... i felt your blood on my hands the pressure from my sword and your limp body falling into my arms" Zoro turns to Sanji a look of fear in the cooks eyes, you both had no idea if this was real or not but the way he was talking about it made you both think maybe it did happen "You wanted me to kill you but i couldn't, i couldn't do it but when you died in my arms i-i had to, i didn't want you coming back like that. i couldn't watch you turn into one of those things and then i-i couldn't go on i just co-" You cut him off by hugging him feeling his tears wet your shirt as you press your face into his shoulder while Sanji places his forehead against the swordsman's "It's ok, its over now, were all alive" The cook reassures getting Zoro to stop panting so hard.

Chopper and Usopp walk over soon followed by Robin "How about we make some tea to calm down, lets make sure no one leaves for now ok" Robin instructs Chopper and Usopp who head off to pull up the ramp and tells the others to stay on the ship while she heads off to the kitchen to make some tea. "Thanks Robin" Zoro whispers holding you both close. You run your hand through his hair kiss his neck before pulling back to look at him, the tears have stopped, and he looks much calmer but you can sense something is off, the feeling gets worse when you wrap your arm around his waist touching the hilt of his swords. You know a little about his three swords mainly from what Zoro's told you but are they supposed to feel like that "Zo, your swords off" you comment making him look down at his waist, he was too emotional before to senses it but now that he's calmed down he can feel the strange aura coming off Shusui as if it was calling out to him. "Come on lets get inside and figure this ok" Sanji pulls of Zoro's arm getting the man to walk with him to the Kitchen, Zoro takes your hand not willing to let either of you go yet but you don't mind and follow along.

It took Zoro almost an hour to explain everything that happened and the detail shocked you, he knew the name of the village even though there was no sigh for it even close to the sunny and described the shop and Supermarket in detail. It scared you a lot especially with Shusui on the dinning room table still giving off that strange heavy feeling, Sanji said he could feel it too while Robin, Chopper and Usopp couldn't as they sat across from the three of you listening to everything. Robin suddenly got out of her chair making you all turn to her "I'm sure i've seen the towns name before, I'll check the liberty" As she leaves you turn your attention back to Zoro who seems a lot calmer but still won't let you or Sanji out of his sight "You ok?" You ask running your hand over his cheek while he's clutching the cup in his hand "Hu? oh! yea, i'm fine baby" Zoro sighs putting the cup down and placing a hand around you pulling you into him while his other hand is holding Sanji's "Hay Chopper have you heard of anything like this?" Sanji asks wondering if Zoro hit his head or something, anything would be better than him actually living it "Not that i can think of, i've heard of that thing people say but its nothing like this" Chopper sighs sitting back in his chair "You mean deja vu?" Usopp asks getting a nod from the doctor "As for the symptoms you described these are a few viral disease that match it but none of them can bring people back from the dead" Chopper shivers a little scared to think back to the last time they saw a dead man walking on Thriller bark.

Sanji leans over to Zoro and lays his head on the mans shoulder as the kitchen door opens and Robin walks back in with a very old book "I knew i had heard the name before, it's a very old town that was used for experiments" The black haired woman sits back down opening the book and showing a small map of the village, the supermarket and shop were on there. You all look closer the feeling of sickness over taking you but you manage to not show it too much, the thought that it really happened is strong in your head "The last experimental had to do with bringing dead soldiers back to life, but they couldn't risk using it on real solders, so they tested it again on this village, the people who lived there were criminals who would have a home, job and comfy life if they agreed to be a part of the trials. Although the book said it worked but things got out of hand fast. The dead became hungry but only for living things, the virus could be passes on through a bite and it spread fast." Robin looks up with a small smile seeming to enjoy talking about it in some way "What you described about the supermarket was correct, The solders locked up the dead inside the back intending to find a cure but that never happened, they just abandoned the place" Zoro's grip on you and Sanji got tighter, he knew what happened was real, but he hopes he was wrong, it really did happen but how?

Sanji hugs the Swordsman tight, he may not remember what happened, but he believed Zoro and for once he thought to hell with the food, they can last a few days on what ever he can scrounge up. You on the other hand couldn't take your eyes off Shusui, the aura it was giving out felt a lot lighter and faded in and out in the rhythm of a heart beat. "Shusui came from that Zombie swordsman right?" You ask catching Zoro off guard who turns to you pulling you closer to him and away form the swords laying on the table "Yea." The swordsman states now noticing the change in aura from the sword, it calls out to him trying to tell him something "What does that have to do with anything?" Usopp asks raising an eyebrow "I don't know, it just feels like, maybe its connection to the undead has something to do with it" You shrug "I feel it too, its weird" Sanji sighs looking over the sword "Some swords bond with their wielder and can influence them so its not a stretch to say that Shusui had something to do with all this" Zoro chimes in making you feel less crazy for thinking it "I remember you talking about something like that, maybe it was some kind of vision" Chopper smiles standing on his seat at the doctors words the sword's aura becomes intense before disappearing as if telling you thats the answer.

Zoro laughs before grabbing the sword and putting it back on his side "I think you hit the nail on the head Chopper, now can we please leave this place" Zoro leans back as Usopp stands and nods "I'll go tell Nami, Luffy isn't going to be too happy though" The sniper rubs the back of his neck before leaving soon followed by Robin who offered a helping hand "Are you ok?" Chopper asks noticing Zoro's blank stare "Yea Chopper i'm good, Why don't you go and help them" Chopper nodded seeing that the swordsman wanted to be alone with you two so headed out the kitchen door. "I'm sorry" Zoro sighs as you and Sanji look at him "I know you two didn't see it but, i couldn't do anything to help." Sanji turns to the swordsman and places a hand on the mans leg "You did what you could, you couldn't stop any of it from happening at the time but you stopped us from going" Zoro looks at the cook with a sad look "You begged me to kill you but i couldn't. I let you suffer before dying, it was selfish" Sanji shakes his head and leans in placing a kiss on the swordsman's lips "I know its still fresh, but we're here, we're alive and thats all thanks to you" The cook smiles pulling away seeing a small smile form on Zoro's face. "Thank you Zoro, your amazing and its all over now" you lean over and place a kiss on the swordsman's cheek.

Zoro turns to you and places his lips on yours giving you a short kiss before the sunny starts moving. The swordsman breaths a sigh of relief, their leaving this island and never coming back, you two are with him and it'll stay that was for as long as he can help it. "Come here" Zoro pulls on your waist band making you get up, pulling you over to his lap where he pulls you in and holds you close while his other arm holds Sanji "I love you both" The green haired man relaxes at the feeling of you two with him your heads on his shoulders and your steady breaths on his neck "I love you too Hunk and you dear" You smile kissing Zoro's neck then looking to Sanji interlocking your fingers with his. "I love you both too... my lovers" Sanji relaxes into the swordsman and holds your hand taking in the feeling of love and care. The nightmare is over and if it weren't for Shusui's connection with the dead then he wouldn't be here with you two, he doesn't know how to thank the sword, but he'll have to find a way. As for right now you and Sanji are the most important thing, and he's not letting you two out of his sight anytime soon.

[sanctus-ingenium]

You have such an amazing use of linework, how you combine it with color and how you use it ro make wavy and rounded shapes for black to fade in qnd out of is truly inspiring. Ive tried copying the general gist of it but its a hard stylisitc choise to wrap my head around. What do you recomend people who want to ink like you study/do?

my main influence for how i approach that sort of work is Mike Mignola's art (Hellboy etc) so there's a recommendation for you. quick demonstration below the cut

generally what you want to look for is separation of shapes and reducing detail in lineart where it isn't needed, and implying detail using edges of shapes rather than edges of lines. the wavy shapes are basically a fast way to fill area in a way that doesn't rely on me drawing perfect straight or parallel lines or edges, it's a time saving device for me that is kind to the fact that i have a very shaky hand

see:

borrowing lineart from a WIP here. so there's a lot surface detail on the armour and we want to preserve most of it when this is zoomed back out - this is only a small part of the image. if we just colour it in under the lineart, a lot of this detail will be lost or appear confusing, like just a bunch of fine lines

so what we wanna do is reduce the AMOUNT of visible lines without reducing the detail. the shadow and highlight go OVER the lineart. whatever base colour there is goes under. i keep track of the textures too; only the metal surfaces (not leather) get this treatment. but you can see that i reduced the amount of lines by drawing out the important details and hiding everything that is cast in shadow (and you can hide a multitude of sins in that shadow block)

if the whole drawing gets this sort of look, it'll also end up overwhelming and confusing, which is where the biiig black blocks come in

like here i originally detailed in all the feathers and hind legs and shit but the drawing wasn't strong enough and ended up all sort of blurring together so i just blocked those parts in. you don't need a lot of lines to know what's going on, the silhouette carries the rest

for scenes like this, i don't actually separate shapes that have the same value. if i drew in visual distinction between pantera, the ground, and the church, it would just add unnecessary noise and i think take away from the overall impact (as i believe the paler metal tone on his helmet and breastplate do). that's why i never finished this one, i thought that this was as strong as it was going to get and adding more to it would not help. so this is also something to keep in mind - a 'less is more' approach.

[thelonelyshore-if]

Is coy flirtation the only way to raise romance with the ROs or are we able to do so by raising their approval in general? Mainly asking because my current MC is a very pragmatic woman who wouldn't be the one immediately engaging in flirting because 1. She feels like she's going a bit crazy atm since she doesn't believe in supernatural stuff and is trying to deny everything 2. She's still absolutely confused as to where willow is.

So far I've been avoiding flirting options in favor of her being polite to strangers but slightly detached. Very tired.

I know sometimes people add in oblivious routes or ones where the mc is the more withdrawn one in the romance so I figured I'd ask. If there's not that's fine I just wanted to know my options! Thanks for your hard work.

Currently, the most direct way to raise romance is to flirt or to pick options that indicate interest. Though, to be honest, there aren't many of those at the moment!

Once chapter 2 rolls around there will be more opportunities for romance (especially considering that the MC is currently kind of Going Through It and also just met everyone), and those opportunities will be more varied.

Also, I think I'll use this ask as a bit of an opportunity to go into my plans for the romance system, because it's something I'm super excited to get into. Apologies in advance for the amount I'm about to write.

Explanation of planned systems beneath the cut <3

Currently I'm planning on using a system with three different parts.

The first part is interest, which is a base indicator that the MC is interested in a RO (or multiple ROs) romantically/sexually. These will be options that straight up say things like 'I think (RO) is cute'. Once interest is toggled on, the RO(s) are able to develop a crush and/or pursue the MC of their own accord. Interest being on will also activate certain flavor text.

The second part is flirting, which directly raises the romance variable. These are things like flirtatious dialogue, grabbing a RO's hand, acting flustered around them--that sort of thing. Actions that are observable by the other character(s). Flirting doesn't automatically turn on interest, but since it raises the romance stat it means that you can flirt with a character/choose romantic options throughout the game and, once interest is on, you can have built a bond.

I plan to have different flavors of flirting. At this point I think I'll mostly stick with the typical shy/direct options, though we'll see. I might get a little silly with it.

Finally, there's approval, which is your character's general relationship stat with each RO (as well as Willow and a few other npcs). Approval can be gained whenever the MC does something the character likes or generally builds the relationship. Tbh I'm a little iffy on sticking with 'approval' as the term, because I don't want to write characters who only like the MC if they agree with everything they do, but it's the only word coming to mind atm lol.

All this to say, I hope that with this system you can have characters like your MC, who are maybe a little more oblivious or withdrawn, who can mark interest in a RO and have the RO be more forward (raising the romance bar that way). Plus having more subtle 'flirt' options that also raise romance without being super direct flirting.

I'm so sorry to have taken your ask and run with it, but I hope this explains the vibes I'm going for a bit!! The system still needs to be actually implemented, so take it with the usual caveat that this is a WIP and these are just my current plans, but it's ideally what I'd like to do!

[sentience-if]

oh another scenario ask, if you wouldn't mind!!! how'd the ROs react to a scenario where they idk, have to go on a mission + its a party and they have to dress up fancy and Io escapes their gremlin status for 1 evening and they come down the stairs looking RAVISHING and like the actual deity they might be LMAO & also how would they react to Io drowning in admirers & Io complimenting the ROs look!!! Crush phase bc that's always so cute hehe. Thank u and have the best day!!!!!

a classic

Ira: definitely flustered, but honest about how good they think Io looks, giving out compliments without hesitation. the attention Io gets doesn't bother them - it's deserved, after all - as long as Io isn't too into the admirers

Val: somehow more excited than anything else, though there's a high chance they're suppressing certain thoughts. Walks around with Io all night doing the Will Smith showing off his wife meme. Only bothered by the more... overzealous admirers, and maybe a little too willing to spirit Io away from a conversation and on to the next

Kat: also very generous with the compliments. Definitely isn't jealous because she's the one marching Io up to people and going on about how lovely they look tonight, don't you agree? Don't we make such a fine pair?

Klaus: only offers a few nice words, but his eyes are bright and Io has his full attention (even if it doesn't seem like it). He doesn't get jealous of any admirers that Io draws; if anything, each additional compliment seems to make him more and more smug

Connie: a little bit dumbstruck, and if they're on good terms with Io, manages a simple but sincere compliment. Keeps an eye on Io all night, and even gets uncharacteristically jumpy whenever someone gets too close. Io has no idea they had twice as many potential admirers but Connie's death stare scared them off

[disenchantedif]

Assign the ros songs off the rep album 👀

YES, I SO WILL. Keep in mind Rep gives very "new love interest" vibes so some ROs feature more heavily lol.

Ready for It: MC/Wraith

"But if he's a ghost, then I can be a phantom, holdin' him for ransom; some boys are tryin' too hard, he don't try at all, though"

End Game: MC/Amri

"Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy, I swear I don't love the drama, it loves me; and I can't let you go, your handprint's on my soul, it's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold"

I Did Something Bad: Amri

"I can feel the flames on my skin, he says, "Don't throw away a good thing," but if he drops my name, then I owe him nothing, and if he spends my change, then he had it coming"

Don’t Blame Me: MC/Theo

"And baby, for you, I would fall from grace just to touch your face; if you walk away, I'd beg you on my knees to stay; don't blame me, love made me crazy, if it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right"

Delicate: MC/Avery

"This ain't for the best, my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me; we can't make any promises, now can we, babe? But you can make me a drink"

Look What You Made Me Do: Amri

"The world moves on, another day another drama, but not for me, all I think about is karma, and then the world moves on, but one thing's for sure; maybe I got mine, but you'll all get yours"

So It Goes: MC/Amri

"All eyes on me, your illusionist, all eyes on us, I make all your gray days clear and wear you like a necklace; I'm so chill, but you make me jealous, but I got your heart skipping when I'm gone"

Gorgeous: MC/Charlie

"You should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk; you should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong"

Getaway Car: Taisiya

"I'm in a getaway car, I left you in a motel bar; put the money in a bag and I stole the keys, that was the last time you ever saw me"

King of My Heart: MC/Amri

"I'm perfectly fine, I live on my own; I made up my mind, I'm better off being alone; we met a few weeks ago, now you try on calling me, baby, like trying on clothes"

Dancing With Our Hands Tied: MC/Amri

"My love had been frozen deep blue, but you painted me golden; oh, and you held me close, how was I to know that I could've spent forever with your hands in my pockets"

Dress: MC/Viktor

"All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting, my hands are shaking from all this; say my name and everything just stops, I don't want you like a best friend"

TIWWCHNT: MC (feat. The Bestie Squad)

"Here's a toast to my real friends, they don't care about the he said, she said; and here's to my baby, he ain't reading what they call me lately"

Call It What You Want: MC/Amri

"Walking with his head down, I'm the one he's walking to, so call it what you want to; my baby's fly like a jet stream, high above the whole scene, loves me like I'm brand new"

New Year's Day: MC/Avery

"I stay when you're lost, and I'm scared, and you're turning away; I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day"

[oneknightstand-if]

So I kinda got a bit curious, how would the ROs react to an MC that's just straight up smoking like a chimney all the time?

Oh boy, and with everyone stuck in the motorhome nearly 24/7 during this roadtrip too!

Merlin: Tis fine. Now that you've awakened as a Harbinger no mere plague or self inflicted illness can stop you now!

Adrian: He's fully aware that this is a coping strategy. Still... you'll probably be randomly finding nicotine patches in your pockets, in the cookie jar, in the sock drawer...

Percy: He's also smoking. Those candy/gum cigarettes that puff out clouds of sugar.

Arthur: It seems that smoking pipes have grown far flimsier over the years. *He's over 1000 years too early to have any interaction with tobacco*

4̷0̴4̵ ̶E̵r̷r̷o̶r̵ ̶N̵o̵t̶ ̴F̴o̶u̶n̶d̴: Words cannot fully describe the absolute lack of fucks given here.

Cassandra: She is side-eyeing you. But as long as you're doing it outside the motorhome where everyone is stuck inside then it's fine.

Gwen: Y-you know that's not the healthiest habit, right? (Pay no mind to the heaping mound of chocolate that she's hoarding) At least maybe less than an entire pack a day and-- *gasp* *hack* *wheeze* *steals your candy bar*

Vivian: *see 404 about the absolute lack of fucks here*

Lorelei: As an Olympic athlete who's had to take pristine care of her own body, she doesn't care what Merlin is saying about such things not hurting any of you anymore, you'd best not be smoking around her.

Broderick: He may or may not be chasing the MC around with a can of air freshener. Now let's see who's the one that's fleeing!

[apt502-if]

Different anon but what about the other ros? What do they think about kids and having them? Ty 🩵

As of right now, G doesn't want another kid. They're fine with just the one lol but they wouldn't mind it down the road. They just have their hands full with one child so they're not too keen on having another.

Cal wants a child, wants many actually. They want the typical big family, white picket fence thing haha they want it all

L: "meh, i dont care. maybe" L has no interest having kids now but if you were to ask them about later they wouldn't know. they never thought about it too much.

M: would want kids later but they'd also fear that they wouldn't be a good parent, so they'd teeteer on whether they do or not but they lean more towards yes, but not too many. they don't think they'd be able to handle it lol

A: ....depends. i think they'd be satisfied with 2 max!

[pdrrook]

How would the ROSreact to an MC who really likes physically touching people they are fond of?. ex. Hugging, taking hold of their arms, hand holding, petting hair (they do it to friends, and the Ros but obviously only them get to kiss etc😏)

Jewel: is fine with it, she's like that too

Reed: technically doesnt' mind BUT is very competitive, because, after all, why would MC touch someone else when they can touch HIM??

Laurent: wouldn't think much of it unless someone pointed that out as sus, basically alluding to MC possibly cheating. He'd never say anything about it in fear of being weird, but he'd feel a bit shitty

Nino: doesn't like it, very jealous, if she learns that MC is doing it on purpose she'll try to one-up MC

Alan: haaates it but pretends he doesn't care, the more MC does it the more he pretends he doesn't care, inside he's like:

I forgot that Flavio exists oops: same as Jewel, expects he's not very hands himself unless he knows someone is ok with that